Campbell's double-double sparks the offense

Harrison and Hamtramck were scheduled to open the boys basketball season on Monday, but the game was postponed until Tuesday because of a schedule miscommunication.

Well, as far as the Hawks were concerned, it was worth the wait.

Harrison shot out to a 36-22 halftime lead and played visiting Hamtramck virtually even in the second en route to a nice 62-50 victory.

"It showed that it was our first game of the year," said Harrison's second-year head coach Stefon Wilson. "But, I was proud of the team's work ethic and how they played so hard. We just have to get more game experience so we can make better plays down the stretch."

Harrison led 12-10 after the opening quarter and enjoyed a 12-point second-quarter scoring advantage to take the 14-point halftime lead. The Cosmos responded with a big third quarter and trailed by just nine points entering the final eight minutes of play. Harrison outscored Hamtramck by four points in that final quarter to earn the triumph.

"We had a slow start in the first quarter but played really well in the second," said Wilson. "I think one of the biggest differences in the game is that we moved Russell Campbell to point guard and that really helped our team with his court vision and his size.

"Defensively, I thought we really hustled," he said. "But, we still had trouble with our spacing and that's what we need to work on. We can always improve our defense."

Senior forward Jeremy Cooper, a transfer from Southfield, led Harrison's scoring parade with 21 points. He also had five rebounds.

Campbell had a big all-around game with a double-double that included 16 points and 10 rebounds, in addition to four assists. Junior guard Jarvis Smith (seven points, two steals), junior center Chris Rexroth (four rebounds) and senior forward Jordan Hibbett (two steals) also provided key contributions.